With the spread of social media and iOS applications, online stadiums, games and contests are getting more and more popular. However, an enterprise often overlooks the need to include appropriate documentation and guidelines required by state or federal laws and regulations. In addition, today's new technology allows web / app users to submit clone entries and bypass online rules. Likewise, collecting personal information of sweepstakes, online games, contests can often cause a variety of different legal problems that are not entirely known to host companies. Care must be taken before starting a new sweepstakes game, online contest.
One of the biggest challenges of online sweeps and games is the difference between the rules and regulations by state. Before starting a new sweepstake, online contest, or game, the host needs to make sure that it complies with all state laws that are made available. Many sweepstakes, games and contests are available to all 50 citizens considering the nature of the Internet and iOS / Android applications, so we need to analyze the laws of each state. Some states require you to register for a specific type of contest.
In addition to state law, online game hosts need to verify compliance with federal regulations and laws such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"). Given the global nature of the Internet, pay attention to whether the compliance with foreign law is necessary, access to Internet stadiums, games and contests is restricted to US participants. For example, the laws of European countries have stricter privacy restrictions than the US e-commerce law.
Companies may be able to comply with state and federal regulations independently, but maintaining e - commerce attorneys is recommended due to the complexity of the legal landscape. The first step is to evaluate relevant promotional materials and online rules in order to reliably prevent federal and state law violations, including online privacy law. Secondly, e-commerce attorneys are likely to analyze the entire framework of contests, games, or sweepstakes to ensure overall compliance with state law and federal law applicable to clients. As mentioned, this needs to be registered with certain states and posting bonds. Finally, lawyers will create overall guidelines as a reference for future promotion use. These guidelines can be used to reduce the cost of future online sweepstakes, contests and games.
Disclaimer - As with discussions on legal topics, this article is educational, not a substitute for legal advice and does not make legal advice or lawyers - customer relationships. Please consult a lawyer before making a decision. Also, as this article may not be updated, it is possible that laws and circumstances have changed at the time of reading this article.
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